West Sea Coast Guard Uses Low-Altitude Show of Force to Expel Eight Foreign Fishing Vessels

Protecting Maritime Sovereignty and Conserving Fishery Resources

Chinese fishing vessels operating in our side of the West Sea. Provided by the West Sea Coast Guard

The West Sea Regional Coast Guard Command used a low-altitude show of force with an aerial patrol aircraft in the distant waters of the West Sea to drive out eight foreign fishing vessels that had intruded into South Korean waters and were operating illegally.

According to the West Sea Regional Coast Guard Command on the 23rd, the Muan Fixed-Wing Aviation Unit, while patrolling the West Sea at around 11 a.m. that day, confirmed that eight foreign pair trawlers were operating in South Korean waters, approximately 53 nautical miles northwest of Hongdo, Sinan County.

The Coast Guard immediately descended to an altitude of 3,000 feet to begin the expulsion operation, while simultaneously sharing information about the illegal fishing with Coast Guard patrol vessels on duty in the area.

However, as the patrol vessels were located about 35 nautical miles away from the site, the Coast Guard determined that immediate enforcement would be difficult and proceeded with an independent expulsion operation using the aircraft alone.

The aircraft further descended to a low altitude of 1,000 feet-about 300 meters above sea level-flying directly over the foreign vessels while broadcasting immediate expulsion orders and conducting a low-altitude flight to block illegal fishing activities.

At the same time, the Coast Guard aircraft used onboard radar and infrared thermal cameras to document evidence of illegal fishing, sharing this data with the West Sea Regional Coast Guard Command situation room and nearby patrol vessels.

After about five minutes of low-altitude show-of-force flights and expulsion broadcasts by the Coast Guard aircraft, the eight foreign vessels ceased their operations, changed course, and exited South Korean waters.

A representative from the West Sea Regional Coast Guard Command stated, "We will do our utmost to protect South Korea’s maritime sovereignty and to conserve fishery resources."